Thinkmap is a software platform for developing customized
visualization interfaces to complex data. The software provides
a system for crafting visualizations with structured data in
order to make the information more intuitive, accessible,
manageable and meaningful. Thinkmap visualizations can make
relationships in the data more apparent than can traditional
line graphs or column displays and can improve understanding and
discovery.

Thinkmaps are highly customizable and are deployed by
companies in a variety of rich applications: CRM, IT asset
visualization, knowledge management, operations and workflow,
network management, e-commerce, research & development, and
intelligence. Via the Thinkmap Software Developer Kit,
developers can quickly create their own visualizations tailored
to their data and integrated with their applications. Thinkmap
runs on a variety of platforms and can be deployed in a variety
of ways.

02. What are the benefits of using
Thinkmap?

Thinkmap enables organizations to incorporate dynamic,
data-driven information visualization technology into their
enterprise Web applications. Thinkmap applications allow
knowledge workers to make sense of complex information in ways
that traditional interfaces can't. Data that may seem too
overwhelming, too multi-faceted, or too dry comes to life inside
Thinkmap visualizations, keeping your users more engaged and
effective. Thinkmaps make information more intuitive and
understandable, often leading to discoveries of relationships
and nuance not otherwise possible.

Thinkmap is inherently flexible. Its underlying core
can be molded and customized into any look or behavior. At the
same time, Thinkmap comes with a rich assortment of
preconfigured visualizations.

Multiple Thinkmaps can run simultaneously and together
to depict different aspects of underlying data.

Thinkmap supports nearly infinite "dimensions" of data
displayable. Each element of a Thinkmap display  from the
length and thickness of a line to the color, size, shape, and
movement of a node  is infinitely configurable, and can
be mapped to properties in the data so that interfaces can be
designed to perform specific tasks.

Thinkmap is efficient with large numbers of nodes and
huge databases. Its thin client brings over only the data that
it needs.

Thinkmap's SDK comes with a fully working example and
template to help developers get their own visualizations
running very quickly.

03. How is Thinkmap different from other
visualization software?

Thinkmap is unique in its flexibility, scalability, and
compatibility. Thinkmap's flexible architecture allows
developers to create highly dynamic, visual interfaces for a
broad variety of data sources. Each element of a Thinkmap
display - from the length and thickness of a line to the color,
size, shape, and movement of a node - is configurable, so that
visualizations can be designed to perform specific tasks and
depict information density in an intuitive and clear manner.
Because these elements are controlled by properties in the data
set, Thinkmap can show both qualitative and quantitative data.

In addition to its flexibility, Thinkmap offers a scalable
and compatible solution. It is designed in such a way that it is
easily configurable, efficient, and able to coexist in a large
variety of legacy systems. Thinkmap's modularity enables rapid
development of new application systems, and because its
datasource API is standards-based, Thinkmap works well within
most standard application server environments.

04. How is Thinkmap 5 different from earlier version of Thinkmap?

Thinkmap 5 uses HTML5 to render the visualization,
utilizing a combination of JavaScript, CSS, SVG, and HTML5
Canvas. The result is that the visualization is completely
browser based (no plugins required) and works on all modern
browsers, including those on tablets and smartphones. Thinkmap 5
also adds a large number of new features.

05. Can I customize the appearance of
Thinkmap?

Yes. One of the distinctive features of Thinkmap is the
amount of control that developers have to fine-tune the look,
feel and behavior of the resulting application. Via the
JavaScript API, you can control how nodes and edges represent
underlying data. Nodes and edges can be represented by any SVG
image.

06. How long does it usually take to
develop and deploy a Thinkmap application?

The Thinkmap SDK is designed to allow developers to
rapidly implement solutions. It reduces complexity through a
well-considered separation of concerns. Developers of Thinkmap
applications can focus on the visualization of their
information, and not worry about the exact mechanisms that make
it work in a seamless fashion.

Assuming the data is properly structured, a developer can
typically produce a fully functional, data-rich Thinkmap in
under a week. In the context of a very large project, the
development cycle can be a few months.

07. How can I get started?

If you want to use Thinkmap in your application, or for more
information about the professional services we offer, please
contact our sales department at salesthinkmap.com
, call 212-285-8600, or see our licensing
page.

08. How do the three versions differ?

There are three versions of the Thinkmap SDK available:
Standard, which provides developers with the full capability to
customize the Thinkmap visualization component, Professional,
which includes the ability to access the datasource API and
Flex, which offers a more flexible licensing model. The
Standard Edition is perfect for those who are interested in
experimenting with Thinkmap or using it for fairly
straightforward Web applications. The Professional Edition is
necessary for most integration with existing legacy systems or
if it is necessary to provide different levels of access to the
data. The Flex Edition is used by those who have complex
deployment needs, and who need flexibility in deployment.

09. How do I buy Thinkmap?

If you are interested in purchasing Thinkmap for use in your
application, or for more information about the professional
services we offer, please contact our sales department atsalesthinkmap.com
, call 212-285-8600, or see our licensing
information.

10. Is there an evaluation copy?

In selected cases we make the Standard Edition SDK available
with a limited term license for research and development
purposes only. If you have an interest in evaluating the
Thinkmap software, please fill out the form on this page.

11. Can I purchase complementary
professional services to help implement Thinkmap in my application?

Thinkmap is a suite of loosely coupled components that together
give users the ability to visually navigate, organize, and
manipulate large data sets. For more general technical
information about Thinkmap, please see the architecture page.

13. What forms of data does Thinkmap
support?

The Thinkmap API is designed to allow developers to
rapidly implement customized solutions. The Standard Edition
comes plug-and-play connectors to JDBC databases and flat
files. Customers who license the professional edition get
access to an API to easily integrate Thinkmap with web
services, non-standardized data sources, and proprietary
software.

14. Does Thinkmap find the
relationships in my data?

Thinkmap does not find relationships in data per se.
Low-level data relationships are defined as part of developing
a Thinkmap application, and Thinkmap then depicts the
relationships. It is in these depictions, however, that users
oftentimes discover relationships, patterns, and meanings in
the data that would otherwise not have been apparent. Thinkmap
visualizations can reveal these subtle connections in the data.

With Thinkmap, the developer (and the user) sets the
rules for how the information is displayed. These rules can be
complex, and are based on properties of the data. As the data
is laid out, patterns emerge, and a user can then make
decisions as to which parts of the data should be explored
further.

15. Which OS platforms and Web servers
are supported?

The Thinkmap Server is 100% Java and runs on all
platforms that support Java, including Mac OSX, Unix, and
Windows. Thinkmap uses Java's Servlet API to communicate with
any standard Web server — such as Apache or IIS. Thinkmap's
server-side component will run under any valid JVM. If your
server is accessing a relational database, the JDBC drivers
must be pure Java or native for the chosen platform.

The Visualization Component uses HTML5 for rendering, and
is completely browser based, needing no plugins. The client
component functions on all modern browsers that support HTML5
including those on browsers and mobile phones.

16. How scalable is Thinkmap?

Thinkmap is built to work with extremely large databases
in situations with multiple simultaneous users. The server
component is very efficient, but if additional server power is
needed, it's a straightforward process to load balance a
Thinkmap application.

17. How flexible is Thinkmap?

Thinkmap can be connected to virtually any data source,
and can show relationships and data properties for a nearly
unlimited number of data types. Thinkmap is standards-based,
and works well within most standard application server
environments. The technology has been deployed as a front-end
to a variety of enterprise systems, including document
management systems, customer relationship management systems,
digital asset management systems, and automatic classification
engines. Since the visualization component utilizes HTML5, a
developer who has experience working with HTML has almost
complete control over look-and-feel and behavior.

18. How do I integrate Thinkmap into my
Web site or application?

Since the Thinkmap Visualization component is 100%
browser based (using HTML5), it's easy to integrate Thinkmap
with a web application. One or more Thinkmaps, and they may
communicate amongst themselves or other components of the Web
page. Thinkmaps access data in enterprise applications and
back-end databases via the server component of Thinkmap, which
may access SQL, XML or Web Services data.

19. Does Thinkmap come with a
Developerís Kit?

Yes. The Thinkmap SDK includes comprehensive
configuration files, API, a full template/example, complete
documentation, datasource adapters for relational databases,
XML, and flat files, and a library of traditional user
interface elements that can be used as components in a Thinkmap
application.

20. How much programming expertise is
necessary to use Thinkmap?

A developer using the SDK should have a basic
understanding of JavaScript (and ideally experience working
with other JavaScript frameworks), and a good understanding of
HTML. If you are using our server, someone on the team should
know how to deploy Java web applications.